Onegai My Melody

Onegai My Melody is a Japanese anime series created by Studio Comet that aired weekly between April 3, 2005 and March 29, 2009. It ran for a total of 208 episodes split across four seasons, with each beginning to air the week after the previous one had finished. The show would later make a brief comeback in 2012 in the form of a 15 minute special, Onegai My Melody: Yū & Ai, preceeding the Jewelpet: Sweets Dance Princess television movie. In 2013 a light novel called Onegai My Melody High School~ was published, following on from the third season after a timeskip. Moving further ahead, in 2016 an audio drama called I Wish I Could Have a Wedding! recieved a limited release.

As of August 2024, no further episodes, specials, light novels or audio dramas have been released.

Development
Onegai My Melody was planned to commemorate the 30th anniversary of My Melody.

Onegai My Melody
The first season of the show aired from April 3, 2005 to March 26, 2006. It sees the titular character - My Melody - sent to the human world after being mistaken for an accomplice in the escape of two criminals: Kuromi and Baku. In the human world she meets and begins living with junior high schooler Uta Yumeno, while Kuromi and Baku reach a similar situation with the mysterious and wealthy high schooler Keichi Hiiragi. With the help of Uta, My Melody has to use her magical items to put a stop to Kuromi's mischief and collect 100 pink notes, in order to prevent Kuromi from collecting 100 black notes and unleashing the dark power.

~Kuru Kuru Shuffle~
The second season aired from April 2, 2006 to March 23, 2007. After the defeat of Keichi Hiiragi and the Spirit of the Dark Power, My Melody has to return to her home in Mari Land, while Kuromi and Baku are once again locked in the castle dungeon. However, Kuromi and Baku have no trouble escaping once more and find a second Melody Key, one unrelated to the dark power. Due to this escape, My Melody once again goes to live with Uta Yumeno, now equiped with a new Melody Takt that allows her to perform the spin-around shuffle to summon helpers from Mari Land. Kuromi and Baku return to the Hiiragi Mansion and this time meet Jun Hiiragi, Keichi's younger brother, who has just arrived from London. Due to the events of the previous season, Keichi Hiiragi is sentenced to the tapir punishment, however this is called off due to Kuromi and Baku's escape. Instead, Keichi is given the bunny ears punishment, forcing him to take on the superhero persona Bunny-Eared Mask and assist My Melody when summoned. This time, My Melody and Kuromi continually race to obtain a set of 8 specific notes of each respective colour: Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti and Do. A complete set of notes is no longer the end goal, as instead a complete sets of notes is able to be used to grant a single wish.

Sukkiri♪
The third season aired from April 1, 2007 to March 24, 2008. The episode runtime was cut down from approximately 25 minutes to 10 minutes. Once again following on from the events of the previous season, the King of Mari Land is to be removed from his throne, being held responsible for allowing the Dark Power to cause havoc two years in a row. Things get complicated however, as the last remains of the dark power - in the form of black notes - are unleashed. It is then decided that My Melody will return to the human world to live with Uta Yumeno once more and use her magic items to purify all the black notes she can find. Purifying black notes turns them into twinkle gems and when she has enough to fill her tiara, she will become the ruling princess of Mari Land. Meanwhile, Kuromi is approached by a mysterious woman, who gives Kuromi the dark Melody Key, allowing her to transform Baku and collect anger gems to fill her own tiara, doing so before My Melody completes hers will make Kuromi the dark princess of Mari Land.

Kirara★
The fourth and final season aired from April 6, 2008 to March 29, 2009. While the timeslot is restored to being 25 minutes long, episodes are split into two different segments, rather than single episodes taking the full 25 minute runtime as was the case in previous seasons. The animation style also undergoes a significant change of direction. This season does not follow on from the others chronologically, instead being set sometime before the events of the first. After being invited to visit by the King, a young girl named Kirara Hoshizuki arrives in Mari Land hoping to see the monthly shooting star. Unfortunately - due to the King and Baku being launched into it - the shooting star crashes into the gateway between Mari Land and the Human world, destroying it in the process and leaving Kirara stuck in Mari Land. Further still, Prince Sorara of the Wishing-Star Land crash lands and turns into a chicken thanks to Baku's wish for cool guys to disappear. With both Kirara and Sorara unable to return home, My Melody, Kuromi and Baku set out on a journey with their new friends to recover the fragments of the wishing star that was destroyed, in order to restore Sorara's true form and return Kirara home.

Yū & Ai
Set sometime after returning to Mari Land, Kuromi and Baku decide to have a barbecue on the beach, where they run into My Melody who has arrived to do the same. However, Kuromi forgot to pack the food for her and Baku, leaving them with nothing. Kuromi and Baku then attempt to steal My Melody's food for themselves.

High School~
Set three years after returning to Mari Land at the end of Sukkiri♪, Kuromi steals yet another magic item: the skull staff, before taking off the the human world, where's it's able to do a lot of harm. My Melody returns to the human world, meeting up with Uta who - along with her friends - is now in high school, joining up once more to defeat Kuromi.

I Wish I Could Have a Wedding!
Set sometime after the light novels, Uta and Kogure are going to have a wedding, My Melody shows up to celebrate with them and their friends. Though will it go smoothly with Keiichi Hiiragi, Kuromi and Baku on the scene?

Legacy
In the years since its airing, My Melody's third wave of popularity has been attributed to Onegai My Melody.

On July 10, 2021 the Onegai My Melody Surprise Box was announced, giving fans a special delivery of merchandise themed around the show every two months.